Moab, Utah. Part One

"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."
-Ansel Adams


Moab, Utah is the first grand and glorious destination that I ventured to with a newly acquired, new and fan-dangled digital SLR, back in 2006.  I farted around with a point 'n shoot for a year previous, but was disappointed in the lack of more robust mechanical controls, and the fact that it didn't produce RAW files, a necessity for landscape and wildlife photographers, as I came to know later. This is another one of those must see places for those that revel in the geologic delights that God has bestowed upon us. From the San Diego, California area, it's approximately a 12 hour drive.

This first series of photos were taken around sunrise; before, during, and after what is known to photographers as one of the "Golden Hour" moments. The other Golden Hour are the corresponding times at sunset.

© 2006 Joe McNally

Photograph above taken of me at Dead Horse Point by Joe McNally who has photographed for National Geographic Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and was LIFE magazine's staff photographer - to name a few of his accomplishments. I was participating in a photography workshop in Moab where Joe was one of several outstanding instructors and one of the leaders of modern photography. Joe's assignment was to teach we students the concepts and use of flash in landscape. Some of the magic he pulled off was truly astounding.

On the other side of the precipice where I'm standing is a near vertical drop of 2,000 feet. Watching a 4x4 vehicle traverse the terrain below on a jeep trail brought to mind a flea crawling around on the back of a dog. Needles to say, I didn't venture out too close to the edge.

 South Window Arch.

Trail leading to South Window.

 Temple Arch.

 Dead Horse Point.

Mesa Arch. This arch's claim to fame is not its size, but rather how it captures and reflects the dawn's light as it illuminates the underside of the arch. When standing in front of it, one is surprised at how truly small it is. This arch is actually cantilevered over thin air, the drop to the valley below is roughly 2,000 feet straight down. As sunlight streams over the distant range, it hits the cliff face below Mesa Arch, picking up the reds and oranges of the native sandstones, and bathes the bottom of the arch with this rich and radiant light. It is a spectacle to behold!

If you notice off in the left of the photo, there is a rock feature that looks like an old fashioned woman washing laundry in a tub. It is appropriately enough called the "Washer Woman". I didn't know this at the time until I did some followup research on the Moab area, or I would have gotten some close-up shots of her too.

Next time, we visit Moab once again.

Temecula Creek Inn Bridal Expo


"In God we trust; all others must bring data."   
 - William Edwards Deming. 1900 - 1993


My oldest daughter and her mom's floral arrangement business, Soleil Flowers, participated in a bridal expo this past Saturday afternoon at the Temecula Creek Inn in Temecula, California. I'm like their "official photographer" for their creations. I've showcased some of the photographs I took of their arrangements below.

We've been experimenting with a look and feel photographically that better expresses their vision and artistic talents. Here, we used some soft focus and a glamour glow, coupled with little or no photographic sharpening. This tends to give the photos a soft and dreamy feel, displaying a more ethereal atmosphere to better portray a satiny, romantic impression.

Being primarily a landscape and wildlife photographer, my tendency is to create photographs that are very sharp and detailed and well saturated; more what the eye would see if personally there. Working with Sarah and Laurie, we are beginning to realize the quality of feel visualized in order to characterize Soleil Flowers.

Kliszewski Glass. The Artist

"An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision. "
 -James Whistler


Last time we were introduced to the art of Kliszewski Glass, now let's watch as Bob creates one of his teapots for us.

After attaching and heating a blob of colored glass on to the glass blowing tube, Bob pulls it out of the furnace and begins rolling it back and forth on a steel table to begin the creation process.

Creating a glass bubble, Bob then reheats it, begins to shape it as shown above by spinning the blob in a wooden shaper, and then reheating. This process is repeated several times, each procedure producing a larger bubble of glass.
 

Giving the glass a twist produces the spiral veins above.

Here Bob and his assistant are placing a handle, spout and top to the teapot.

Back into the furnace for one of the final firings.

¡Voila!

Kliszewski Glass. The Art

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."  

 -Pablo Picasso

Kliszewski Glass Studio is owned and operated by my cousin Bob and his wife Laurie, and is located in the Central California town of Fresno. Bob is best known for his series entitled "Bobtanicals", a play on the words, Bob and botanicals.  Bobtanicals are highly colorful and whimsical blown glass pieces resembling fantastical plants and flowers. Other studio creations are one of a kind vases, cartoonish teapots, and at one time, Kliszewski Glass fired beautiful multicolored glass paper weights, reminiscent of those handcrafted in Renaissance Italy.

http://www.klissglass.com/index.html

 For those of you living in and around Laguna Beach, California, Swenson Fine Art Galleries has Kliszewski Glass pieces for viewing and for sale. Unfortunately at the moment, Laurie Swenson, proprietor, has temporarily shuttered its doors due to a pressing family issue.

http://www.swensonfineart.com/Swenson_Fine_Art/Welcome.html

Bobtanicals

 

 Several of Kliszewski Glass' creative teapots.

Looks like Bob is ready to give us an example on how he crafts one of his creations.

Joshua Tree National Park, California. Part II

“A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.”
-Eudora Welty

Joshua Tree has at least one natural arch. This one appropriately enough is called Arch Rock. I see a duckling with his head touching the ground. What do you see?

Back side of Arch Rock. For a bit of human perspective, the inner crest of the arch is a bit over 12 feet in height from what I remember.
 

 

Schnozzola  Rock, Opus I. While roaming around the park looking for photography fodder, it struck me that many of the rocks, boulders and outcropping resembled giant noses. I ran with the idea and took several photos of various formations that suggested large noses, i.e., schnozzolas.

Schnozzola Rock, Opus II. Second of several from the series.

Joshua Tree National Park is well worth the visit for those that like to get out and observe nature. Most, if not all of the park's natural wonders are visible from paved roads, well maintained dirt and gravel roads, or short distances via hiking trails. Situated at a higher elevation, temperatures are more tolerable for a longer season than the surrounding lower elevation desert.

That ends our Joshua Tree adventure. Next we travel up to Fresno, California for a visit to my cousin Bob's glass studio. What treat Bob has in store for us!

Joshua Tree National Park, California. Part I

"A good photograph is knowing where to stand."
-Ansel Adams


Located north of Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park lies within both the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, much of it sitting atop a large rocky plateau at an elevation of up to 5,000 feet. The eastern edge of the park slopes down to 3,000 feet and below into what is part of the Colorado Desert.

Known for its boulder-strewn beauty, it is also internationally known as a rock climbers paradise. Named after the plant that is endemic to the region, its elevation is high enough that periods of snow can blanket the plateau during especially cold weather fronts.

Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) are not actual trees, but giant herbaceous yuccas belonging to the lily family. One can find some especially large specimens growing in the park.

This specimen is one of the larger  Joshua trees I came across in the park. Yours Truly posing beneath.

Flowering bunch of Joshua tree flowers. Individual flowers growing in clusters such as this is normally known as an inflorescence. Judging from the waxy, white flowers and the sweet aroma they release, my guess is that they are pollinated at night by nocturnal moths.

Beautiful and waxy-looking blossoms of the Claret-cup cactus. Quite variable in form and color, this plant can be found growing throughout parts of the American Southwest. Sports wicked looking spines, but are not so menacing and aggressive as those found on the various species of Cholla cactus.

Sunrise at the Cholla Gardens. Growing on a broadly sloping alluvial plain, a veritable forest of Cholla covers many acres here. The best time of day to visit the gardens for a visual spectacle is at sunrise, when its rays light up the spines of the cacti from behind, causing them to glow as if they were plugged in to an A.C. outlet.

I would have missed the photo above were it not for being conscious of the unfolding events surrounding me. There is a wise adage in photography circles regarding being aware of the surroundings one is in. It is natural for a photographer to set up his tripod well before an event takes place such as the backlit Cholla spines, fiddle with composition, tripod height and camera knobs and dials in order to get that perfect shot, and then wait in anticipation for that crowning moment of capture. It's easy to patiently wait there, staring at your subject and be oblivious to what is transpiring around you, missing a gorgeous photo op unfolding somewhere else around your vicinity.

I learned this lesson when photographing Horsetail Fall in Yosemite a few years back. I set up with some other photographers, waiting for the Horsetail Fall phenomenon that happens in February to manifest itself. Intently focused on the fall, we were oblivious to the large moon rising behind us and over Sentinel Peak. Someone mentioned to look behind us at the moonrise. That is when we all grabbed our tripods, reoriented, and proceeded to click off photos of the scene unfolding 180° of the falls. It turned out to be a pleasant shot, but would have been missed if not for the fellow photographer who happened to survey his surroundings and alerted the rest of the group to look behind us.

Cholla Gardens backlit by the rising sun. These things really glow when lit up like that.

The next blog will feature the rest of the Joshua pics. See you then!

Elephant Seals

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer."
-Ansel Adams


On Hwy. 1 along the California coast, 14 miles north from the quaint little town of Cambria and just past Hearst Castle by 4 miles, one can find the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery.

Elephant seals are amazing animals to observe in the wild, to which the rookery here provides visitors safe and easy access for viewing. Ample parking next to the elephant seals is provided by the Hearst Corporation, allowing for a quick walk to the rookery beaches. On the south side of the parking lot, a boardwalk leads people along the beach cove, well above the animals for a birds eye view.

For a closer, more intimate view, to the north of the parking lot runs a dirt trail paralleling the shore about 3 feet above the beach. Elephant seals will rest on the sand right up to the trail, allowing for some great photo ops for those armed with a camera. No need for extreme telephoto lenses here; something in the 200mm. range will get you plenty of closeups. Most of the photos below were shot around 200 - 400mm. 'cuz I happen to have the glass, but a nice little compact camera with a decent zoom will yield many a pleasant shot. One can get within mere feet of these lumbering giants and not be in danger, as that little three foot rise to the trail from the beach is plenty enough to keep them at bay due to their bulk and blubbery fat. Freaky at first, until one gets used to having a beast that can approach the weight of a VW Beetle to be almost within arms reach.

For more information on the elephant seal rookery and the history of  the California elephant seal, go to this page from the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce:

Elephant Seals, Big Sur California

I visited the rookery while on my way to a photo shoot up in Big Sur back in May of 2007; the big giant males having already left the rookery for deeper waters, leaving the females and juveniles in sole possession of the beaches. During the height of the breeding season, there can be upwards of several thousand animals calling this rookery home. The ones in these photos are in the process of molting, shedding both skin and fur during this time.

This little (the term little is relative)  guy was basking just below the trail that runs along the north side of the parking lot. I could almost pet him if I reached out far enough. He is approaching adulthood, as can be seen by his prominent proboscis (schnoz) , which will get even bigger as he matures. During mating season, male elephant seals will fight fiercely for females, inflating the proboscis to many times its normal size during bouts ("Mine's bigger than yours." -type macho male thing.).

He was so cute! I ended up taking quite a few photographs of him.

Tilting his head back and making bellowing sounds, I wanted to squeeze him so hard it would have caused his eyes to bulge 'cuz he was so darned cute.

Female striking a sultry and demure pose. Notice the lack of a prominent proboscis as compared to the juvenile male above.

As they bask on the beach and on occasion,  elephant seals will flip sand on to their bodies. I'm assuming this is their version of suntan oil and/or it helps to keep them cool. Even with an air temperature hovering around 50°F, a blubbery creature such as this would be inclined to overheat some. Tending to bunch up in groups though, some of that sand ends up in others faces.

A group of females snoozing in the morning sun. Molting is very noticeable. Many of the elephant seals have a crusty, oozing snot coming out of their nostrils. I don' know what it is. My guess is that they probably ingest fair amounts of seawater while feeding. This may be the way their bodies purge themselves of excess salt from their systems. If anyone knows for sure, please let me know.

There seems to be constant bickering and poking and prodding and fighting between animals. Females tend to mass together and constantly disturb and get in the way of each other. Juvenile males will call each other out and practice fighting to prepare themselves for the day when they become fully mature and fight to form their own harems. Here we see two females bickering.

 Immature male reading the riot act to a female.

 I left Big Sur very early in the morning, on my way home from a wonderful photo shoot. I approached the rookery once again and decided to stop by, as it was still very early in the morning and no one else was at the rookery for a visit yet. I had the place to myself, and therefor felt more at ease going down on the beach, in and amongst the elephant seals. They were still all snoozing and didn't give a hoot that I was on their beach and milling around amongst them. A typical Central California coastal fog set in, imparting the ocean and rookery with a calm, but moody sense. These animals are so slow on land, that even if I miffed one, I could outrun it easily... as long as the escape path in front of me was devoid of any other seals.

The air was absolutely still, tinged with a bit of coolness and moisture. Noises traveled far. The Pacific was just that: passive and pacified. What was eerie and disconcerting, was that out in the water, elephant seals were swimming and foraging for food, just out of view. They would bellow and huff and snort and make all sorts of weird noises that carried loudly and well over the water.

All I could picture was this massive male come zipping in up on to the beach with mouth wide open bearing fangs the size of human fingers; its huge proboscis flapping in the breeze like a grotesque, flaccid Polski kielbasa; sailing through the air on a perfect trajectory, intercepting my unwary position by the shore, just like the Nat Geo films of killer whales lunging on to a beach, grabbing an unsuspecting and hapless seal in its fish breath maw and dragging it back out into the ocean. The only evidence of that seal ever having existed is a bloody-tinged splotch of water just off shore... all that's left of my visit is one lonely tripod and camera lying forlornly in the sand. Oh, the horror of it...

The moodiness of the place and the noises emanating from just off shore in the water reminded me of that old computer game from the '90's called Myst. Inhabiting the game was a large creature that lived in a lagoon that looked similar to an elephant seal and made the exact same sounds as one. I'm sure now the creators of Myst were familiar with elephant seals and modeled their creature after them.

That concludes the elephant seals. Next we leave the shoreline and head out to the desert where we will be visiting Joshua Tree National Park, California.


  

Creatures: Opus Two

"A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into."

-Ansel Adams

 This has to be one of my favorite doggie pics that I've taken. I forget the dog's real name, but I nicknamed him Jimbo Billy-Bob, the hillbilly dog. After looking at his teeth, you'll know why.

That's it for the Creatures gallery. Next come the Elephant Seals.